Providing an abundance of new experiences, relationships and opportunities, relocation can be an incredibly exciting opportunity for most relocating expats.

However, relocation is not all fun and excitement.

With it being called 'cultural awareness training', 'cultural competence training' or 'cross-cultural training', anyone would think that these types of training courses are all about culture.

Well, you wouldn't be wrong.

We spend most of our time here working on serious cultural stuff, such as, how to negotiate successfully with the Americans, or, how to give good service to American customers.

Every so often however, we feel that need to go off at a tangent and indulge in some of the quirkier aspects of culture!

Love for the royal family is deeply ingrained in Thai culture.

You can’t help but see pictures of the recently deceased King and his newly appointed son wherever you go in Thailand.

To understand Japanese business culture, it's essential that you first appreciate Japanese cultural values.

Why?

Essential to any sort of cultural awareness training are the two key concepts of stereotypes and bias.

As we touched on in an earlier blog, a common trap many of us naturally fall into when we are working in a cross-cultural situation is to let our own cultural lens get in the way.

Doing business in the Middle East?

Then you need to understand the role of honour in the Arab world.

Why do we focus on culture in corporate training? Is it really all that important?

Understanding the role culture plays in our lives is very important.

As with any people, the Arabs look to the past for their sense of identity.

Arab history is tied to tribalism and the nomadic life of the desert.

Why focus on 'culture' in the workplace?

Why do we need to look at 'culture' specifically?

Did you know the Japanese have over 20 ways to say 'sorry'?

If you plan to do business in Japan, you need to get up to speed with how apologies work in Japanese culture.

A common misconception held by many is that cultural awareness is a skill.

You either have or you don't have, or, at the very least, is a skill that can be learned through training.

The following incident provides a great case study for the influence of cultural differences.

Guillaume Rey, a French waiter, was sacked from his job in a Canadian restaurant for being ‘aggressive, rude and disrespectful’

Do you want to sell your products or services internationally?

Global sales are important for businesses looking to expand their client base, increase revenues or attract investment.

Expectations are that Asia will overtake the US as the largest global consumer market in the next couple of decades.

The Asian Development Bank reported in 2020, that growth prospects for Asia are continuing to strengthen with expected increases of 7.2% for 2021. 

Doing Business in Brazil?  

A ‘One Size fits All’ approach will sink your ship in Brazil. 

Relocating to a foreign country for work is a big deal. New home, new language and new culture!

There is a lot to get your head around. Without a doubt, Japan is one of those countries that, culturally speaking, causes confusion for the foreigner.

For some, globalization is dangerous for cultural diversity. The fear of cultural dilution and being imposed upon by a foreign, sometimes corporate, culture drives many people to deduce that the global economy is doing us more harm than good. 

However, new research coming from academics in Morocco and Canada suggests that globalization is certainly not killing our cultures. 

If your introduction to the topic of cultural appropriation was due to a celebrity, such as Pharrell Williams, being slammed for wearing Native American headwear,  Zac Effron, being called out for sporting dreadlocks, or Katy Perry, being criticised for performing as a Geisha, then you're not alone. 

Once upon a time, cultural appropriation was something theorised and discussed solely at universities.

Discover some of the more unknown aspects of South Korean culture and society!

Sometimes it's the quirky things a country or culture does that really gives us insights into the people.